Such a cute name for a car with so much muscle bulging torque:
e-tron
You can almost hear yourself saying it as in, "Honey, I'll take the e-tron to the store to pick-up the milk."
And yet the newest concept from Audi could eventually be the first serious production EV all wheel drive car.
The e-tron has four engines that (and you guessed it) power the four wheels and will zip the car in electric silence from 0-60 in 4.8 seconds.
And while it only produces 313 hp, it does so with an amazing stump pulling 3,319 lb-ft of torque.
When you compare that to the 2010 Prius's electric motor's output of 153 lb-ft torque, you get an idea of just how much the torque Audi e-tron concept brings to the electric car party.
Just think of the e-tron as the ripped Mr. Universe of EV cars.
Today's Press Release is below:
INGOLSTADT/FRANKFURT, Germany, Sep 15, 2009
- Audi presents the highlight of the IAA 2009: the e-tron, a
high-performance sports car with a purely electric drive system. Four
motors – two each at the front and rear axles – drive the wheels,
making the concept car a true quattro. Producing 230 kW (313 hp) and
4,500 Nm (3,319.03 lb-ft) of torque, the two-seater accelerates from 0
to 100 km/h (0 – 62.14 mph) in 4.8 seconds, and from 60 to 120 km/h
(37.28 – 74.56 mph) in 4.1 seconds. The lithium-ion battery provides a
truly useable energy content of 42.4 kilowatt hours to enable a range
of approximately 248 kilometers, or 154 miles.
The performance figures are by no means the only evidence of the
consistent and holistic strategy. The design makes it clear that the
e-tron belongs in the major leagues of sports cars, and the package
takes into account the specific realities of an electric vehicle. The
battery is directly behind the passenger cabin for an optimal center of
gravity and axle load distribution.
The e-tron is able to freely distribute the powerful torque of its four
electric motors to the wheels as required. This torque vectoring allows
for dazzling dynamics and an undreamed-of level of agility and
precision when cornering.
Audi has taken a new, and in some cases revolutionary, approach to many
of the technical modules. A heat pump is used to efficiently warm up
and heat the interior. The drive system, the power electronics and the
battery are controlled by an innovative thermal management system that
is a crucial component for achieving the car’s range without
compromising its high level of interior comfort. Networking the vehicle
electronics with the surroundings, which is referred to as car-to-x
communication, opens new dimensions for the optimization of efficiency,
safety and convenience.
